Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The short answer: funny Christmas doors win the hallway vote when the joke reads in two seconds. A big bold pun, one huge character and a little 3D detail beat a busy door every time. Fa La La La Llama, Meowy Christmas and Ho Ho Homework are all easy wins.
Here are 25 funny Christmas door decorating contest ideas: animal puns, food puns, classroom and work jokes, and winter puns that can stay up into January. Each one has a quick build tip, and the supply list at the end keeps the whole door easy to take down.
Want a door that is ready to print?
If you would rather skip the cutting, our Christmas Door Kit gives you a cozy gingerbread door for December, a snowy door for January, A to Z banner letters for any pun you like, and name pieces you type before printing. It is an instant download from our Etsy shop.
Animal pun doors everyone gets
Animal puns are the safest laugh in the building. Little kids get them, adults groan at them, and judges remember them.
1. Fa La La La Llama
SaveA big paper llama in a Santa hat and a cozy scarf, with paper lights looped around its neck. It is silly, it is festive and it reads from the end of the hallway.
Tip: Cut the llama’s fluffy neck from white paper plates layered like fur for a 3D look.
2. Meowy Christmas
SavePaper cats tangled up in a string of paper lights and knocking ornaments off a paper tree. Anyone who has a cat laughs at this one.
Tip: Let each child make one cat so the whole class is on the door.
3. Feliz Navi-dog
SaveA row of paper puppies in Santa hats and reindeer antlers, each one a different breed. Kids love picking which puppy they are.
Tip: Add real felt antlers or pom pom noses for a soft 3D touch.
4. Fleece Navidad
SaveFluffy cotton ball sheep in tiny knitted paper sweaters standing in a snowy field. It is soft, cozy and very touchable.
Tip: Cotton balls glued on in clumps make the wool stand right out from the door.
5. Merry Christmoose
SaveOne giant paper moose face with huge antlers hung with paper ornaments and lights. The antlers can stretch past the door frame onto the wall.
Tip: Make the antlers from cardboard so they stick out and catch the light.
6. Hang in there, break is coming
SaveA sleepy paper sloth hanging from a giant paper candy cane. It is the most relatable door in the building in mid December.
Tip: Make the candy cane from a pool noodle wrapped in red tape for a 3D handle.
Food pun doors that get a laugh
Food puns are funny, colorful and easy to build from paper plates and construction paper.
7. Nacho average class
SaveA giant paper nacho chip in a Santa hat surrounded by smaller chips, each one with a student’s name. Big kids and teachers both love this one.
Tip: Crinkle the yellow paper first so the chips look crunchy.
8. Taco ’bout a merry Christmas
SaveA big paper taco stuffed with paper lettuce, cheese and tiny presents, wearing reindeer antlers. It is bright, silly and quick to make.
Tip: Shredded green tissue paper makes perfect lettuce.
9. Sprinkle some cheer
SaveA giant paper donut wreath with pink icing and rainbow sprinkles, plus a few smaller donuts around it. It is sweet and very easy to read from a distance.
Tip: Cut sprinkles from scraps of colored paper and glue them on at angles.
10. Stay marsh-mellow
SaveA giant paper mug of cocoa with cotton marshmallows that have little smiling faces. Calm, cozy and funny all at once.
Tip: Draw the marshmallow faces with a black marker after they are glued on.
11. Oh snap!
SaveA big paper gingerbread man with a bandaged leg and a cheeky face, surrounded by smaller gingerbread friends. It is the classic gingerbread joke and it never fails.
Tip: Use a strip of real bandage tape for the broken leg so it sticks out.
Classroom and work jokes
These are the doors teachers and coworkers vote for, because they are a little bit true.
12. Ho ho homework
SaveA paper Santa sitting at a desk buried in paper worksheets, with a red pen and a mug. Every teacher in the building will stop and laugh.
Tip: Use real old worksheets for the pile so it looks 3D and real.
13. Silent night? Not in here
SaveA paper choir of very loud singing kids made of paper circles with big open mouths, music notes flying everywhere. It is honest and it gets a big laugh.
Tip: Make the music notes from black paper and hang a few on string so they move.
14. Dear Santa, define good
SaveA giant letter to Santa from the class asking him to please define good, with a paper pencil and an eraser. Kids think it is hilarious.
Tip: Write the letter in big marker handwriting so it feels like the kids wrote it.
15. Santa’s watching. Act natural.
SaveA pair of big paper eyes peeking out from behind a paper chimney, with paper elves trying to look busy. It is a fun twist on the naughty or nice list.
Tip: Googly eyes from the craft cupboard make the peeking eyes extra funny.
16. Caution: elves at work
SaveYellow and black caution stripes across the door, a paper hard hat elf, paper tools and a half built toy. Easy to build and funny for any age.
Tip: Real yellow caution tape from the hardware store makes it pop.
17. Humbug free zone
SaveA paper bug with a frowny face crossed out inside a big red circle, surrounded by smiley paper ornaments. It is a cheerful door with a sneaky pun.
Tip: Make the circle and line from red duct tape for a clean, bold look.
18. The WiFi password is merrychristmas
SaveA paper router with paper lights for antennas and the password written on a sticky note. Older kids and coworkers love this one.
Tip: A real sticky note pad stuck to the door makes the joke land.
Winter puns that last into January
If your contest runs late or you want the door up after break, these snowy puns work all winter.
19. There’s snow place like our class
SaveA big paper snowman made from three paper plates with each child’s name on a paper snowflake around him. It is sweet and it works for any classroom.
Tip: Use paper plates for the snowman’s body so it has a 3D curve.
20. Have an ice day
SaveA paper penguin sliding across a shiny blue ice rink made of foil and cellophane. Simple, bright and good from December to February.
Tip: Silver foil under clear cellophane looks just like real ice.
21. Dressed to chill
SaveA row of paper penguins wearing sunglasses, scarves and knitted hats. Cool, funny and great for a class of big personalities.
Tip: Cut the sunglasses from black paper and add a white stripe for shine.
22. Shake things up
SaveThe whole door becomes a giant snow globe with the class inside it, with cellophane glass and paper snow. It hits the snow globe door contest search and it always draws a crowd.
Tip: Clear cellophane over the paper circle is what makes it look like real glass. See the clear cellophane roll on Amazon.
23. What snowmen do at night
SaveA group of paper snowmen having a dance party under a disco ball when nobody is watching. Kids make up stories about it all week.
Tip: A small round mirror sticker sheet makes a great paper disco ball.
24. Our class is tree-mendous
SaveA big paper tree where every ornament is a child’s photo frame or name. It is funny and it makes everyone in the class feel part of the door.
Tip: Punch out circles from colored cardstock for neat matching ornaments. See the colored cardstock on Amazon.
25. Gnome for the holidays
SaveThree chubby paper gnomes with long felt beards and tall hats peeking over a paper snowbank. Gnomes are everywhere this year and they look great on a door.
Tip: Use real felt or cotton for the beards so they stick out from the door.
What to buy for a funny contest door
Everything here comes off the door cleanly, which keeps the custodian happy.
- Large brown kraft paper roll: covers the whole door fast and works for gingerbread, chips and cocoa mugs.
- White scalloped border roll: frames the door so the joke looks finished.
- 4 inch cutout letters: for puns that read from the end of the hallway.
- Colored cardstock: sturdy enough for characters, ornaments and name tags.
- Clear cellophane roll: turns paper circles into snow globe glass and ice.
- Battery fairy lights with a timer: no cords across the hallway and they switch on by themselves.
- Removable poster putty: for 3D pieces on doors that cannot take tape.
- Painter’s tape: peels off cleanly in January.
How to make a funny door that wins
- Make the pun huge: The words should be the biggest thing on the door. If people have to walk up to read it, the joke is lost.
- One big character: One giant llama, sloth or gingerbread man beats ten small ones. Big shapes read from far away.
- Add one 3D detail: A cotton beard, a pool noodle candy cane or googly eyes makes the door pop out from flat paper doors.
- Keep it kind: The best funny doors laugh with the class, not at anyone. Puns about food, animals and homework are safe for every hallway.
- Plan the take down: Painter’s tape, poster putty and removable clips mean the door is clean in January.
Keep reading
- 52 Christmas door decorating contest ideas that win
- 25 office Christmas door decorating contest ideas
- 19 Christmas classroom door ideas that win the door contest
- Winter door decorations that last until February
Frequently asked questions
Puns win: Fa La La La Llama, Meowy Christmas, Feliz Navi-dog, Nacho Average Class, Ho Ho Homework, Oh Snap with a broken gingerbread man, and There’s Snow Place Like Our Class.
Make the pun the biggest thing on the door, use one large character, and add one 3D detail like cotton, googly eyes or a pool noodle candy cane. Judges vote for doors they get in two seconds.
Ho Ho Homework with Santa buried in worksheets, Silent Night? Not In Here with a singing paper choir, and Hang In There with a sloth on a candy cane all get big laughs from teachers and kids.
Yes. Winter puns like Have an Ice Day, Dressed to Chill and There’s Snow Place Like Our Class work through January, so you only decorate once.
Good luck with the contest, and may your door get the biggest laugh in the building.